Improvement in car-couplings



.3. TWEEDLEM Car-Couplings. N0,148,782, Patented March17 ,1874.

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.mrrnn STATES IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,782, datcdMarch 17,1874; application filed v September 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TWEEDLE, of thecity and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain Improvements in (Jar-Couplings, of which the following is aspecification:

The objects of my invention are to facilitate the coupling anduncoupling of railroad-cars, and to dispense with the usual draw-headsand bumperbars.

I attain these objects by the use of bellcrank levers A and A, hooked attheir outer ends, slot-ted at their fulcrum-points, and so combined withand acted on by inca-sed springs B and B as to serve the threefoldpurpose of automatic couplers, draw-heads, and. bumperbars, all as bestobserved in the inverted plan, Figure 1, and inverted sectional plan,Fig. 2, of the accompanying drawings. D and D represent portions of theends of two cars, to the under sides of which are secured, in anysuitable nianner, two castings, F and F, which, with their appliances,are precisely alike, so that a description of one will suffice for both.The casting F serves as a frame for the lever A and spring B, the saidlever having its fulcrum-pin (Z extending through a guiding-slot, c, asbest observed in the transverse section, Fig. 3, and the spring B beingcontained within a cylindrical enlargement or barrel, f, of the saidframe. One end of the spring bears against a cap, I), and the oppositeend against a stud, a, both of which have a limited sliding movement inthe said barrel f. (See Fig. 2.) The stud a bears against the short armof the bell-crank lever A, and tends to maintain the same in theposition shown in Fig. 1, and in the view to the right in Fig. 2, and,when the lever which is slotted at its fulcrum-point, as

shown, is drawn bodily outward, such movement will be resisted by thestud a and spring, as a direct pressure will then be exerted against thesame through the short arm of the lever. Both levers A and A are hookedat their outer ends, as shown, and they serve the threefold purpose ofautomatic couplers, draw heads, and bumper-bars, the several operationsbeing as follows: The hooked ends of the twolevers are rounded, so thatwhen the two cars are brought together both levers will yield later allyuntil their hooked portions have passed each other, when they willbecome interlocked, as shown in Fig. 1.

If the cars should still continue to approach each other, aftercompleting the coupling, the end of the lever A would strike the cap I)of the spring B, and the lever A that of the spring B, the said levers,in conjunction with the springs, thus acting as bumpers to absorb theshock.

In starting, and as long as the cars are in motion, the levers willyield at their fulcrumpoints, and exert a constant pressure againsttheir springs, thus acting as efficient substitutes for the usualyielding draw-bars.

By operating a lever, m, hung to the end of the car and connected to theside of the lever A, the latter can be drawn away from the lever Asufficiently to effect an uncoupling of the cars, as shown in 'Figs. 2and 3. When the cars are thus uncoupled a dog, a, hung to the said leverm, drops into a recess in the platform, and thus retains the two leversin the position to which they have been adjusted. The simple pressure ofthe foot upon the pro jecting portion of the dog will release the same,and permit the levers to spring back to their original positions. I haveillustrated but one lever, m, but it will be understood that another isto be provided for the coupling-lever A. It will be also advisable, inmost instances, to provide the frame F with a guard, i, similar to thatof the frame F.

As it may often be necessary to connect a car, provided with my improvedcoupling, to an ordinary car, I propose to combine a bent link, h, bestobserved in Fig. 4, with each of the coupling-levers A and A, the saidlink being made reversible, as shown, so that it can be connected toeither high or low cars, and being secured to a sliding rod so that itcan be pushed back out of the waywhen not required for use.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a car-coupling, ofsprings B B and levers A A, so that the device will serve the threefoldpurpose of an automatic coupler, draw-head, and bumper, as set forth.

2; The bell-crank levers A A, hooked at the extremities of their longarms, in combination with incased springs 13 B and sliding studs a aintervening between the springs and the short arms of the levers, as setforth.

3. The combination of the hooked levers A and A, slotted at theirfulcrum-points, the springs B and B, and the studs a (1., as and for thepurpose specified.

4. The combination of the hooked levers A A, the yielding caps I) b, andthe springs B 13, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of lever m and dog n with the hooked levers A A, asset forth.

6. The combination of a reversible bent link, h, with the hooked lever AA 7 for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJ. TWEEDL E.

Witnesses WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH.

